Dekmantel Podcast 388 - Fortuna Records

For the last decade, the tireless work of Tel-Aviv quartet Maor Anava, Zach Bar, Yoav Magriso and Ariel Tagar has been shining a light on magnificently obscure and previously forgotten Middle Eastern sounds. As a DJ crew and label heads of Fortuna Records, their carefully curated reissues focus on the psychedelic end of the spectrum and give their Israeli homeland the exposure it deserves. Their NTS show is another bastion of good taste and takes in everything from Arabic pop to acid, free jazz to traditional Arabic sounds. This week's mix is a similarly freewheeling selection that is steep in hypnotic Arabic music, transcendental instrumentals and curious grooves. It makes for an intoxicating listen with snaking melodies that lead you down a rabbit hole before loose-limbed Middle Eastern rhythms carry you to the edge of the dance floor and back again. Add in leftfield dub and ritualistic vocals and you have an authentic snapshot of a unique musical world.